1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ball catching tool and more particularly to a glove or a mitt to be used for ball games such as baseball.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of a ball catching tool include an opening type catching tool comprising a ball catching tool body provided with a band for receiving and supporting the back of a hand in a direction of a hand width and an enclosing type ball catching tool provided with an outer cover to cover the back of the hand.
As described above, the opening type ball catching tool comprises a band capable of being fastened to or unfastened from the hand. The enclosing type ball catching tool has such a structure that a cover portion on the hand insertion side for receiving and supporting the wrist side of the back of the hand can be fastened to or unfastened from the hand. During ball catching, it is possible to prevent the ball catching tool from slipping off from the hand or being shifted from the hand, resulting in easiness of catching.
Conventionally, the band of the opening type ball catching tool has been fixed to the back face portion of the ball catching tool body. The cover portion on the hand insertion side of the enclosing type ball catching tool is formed continuously to a main cover portion on the finger side.
In order to obtain reliable catching through the ball catching tool, each finger should be tightly bent to catch a ball such that an inner cover corresponding to the hand palm side of the ball catching tool encloses a ball. In particular, when the ball rotates irregularly, the above-mentioned ball catching operation is required.
However, the conventional opening type ball catching tool has such a structure that the band is fixed to the back face portion of the ball catching tool body and the band can freely be fastened to the hand. The conventional enclosing type ball catching tool has such a structure that the outer cover portion on the hand insertion side is formed consecutively to the main outer cover portion on the finger side and the outer cover portion on the hand insertion side is freely fastened to the hand. For this reason, the following problem arises.
More specifically, the band fastened to the hand (the outer cover portion on the hand insertion side of the enclosing type ball catching tool and so is the following) in an attachment state is shifted with difficulty in the longitudinal direction of the hand with respect to the hand by fastening force.
When each finger is to be bent in this state for catching a ball, tensile force preventing the outer cover from being curved and deformed with the ball catching operation acts on the outer cover from the band (the outer cover portion on the hand insertion side) so that the outer cover is brought into a constraint state.
As a result, the outer cover is curved and deformed with difficulty so that it is hard to catch a ball with each finger tightly bent.
There has been proposed a structure in which an end of a band on the little finger bag side of a ball catching tool body is connected to an outer cover through an elastic member. Such a structure cannot solve the above-mentioned problem.
In consideration of the above-mentioned problem of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball catching tool in which a band provided in a direction of a hand width for receiving and supporting the back of a hand or an outer cover portion on the hand insertion side for receiving and supporting the wrist side of the back of the hand can be freely fastened and unfastened, and furthermore, a ball can be caught more easily.
The object can be achieved by the invention described in claims.
More specifically, the present invention provides a ball catching tool comprising a ball catching tool body provided with a band in a direction of a hand width for receiving and supporting a back of a hand, the band being capable of being fastened and unfastened from the hand, wherein the band has such a structure that one of both ends opposite to a thumb bag portion side of the ball catching tool body is connected to an outer cover on a back face side of the ball catching tool body through flexible means and can prevent constriction force of the band from acting on the outer cover to be curved and deformed with a ball catching operation.
According to this structure, the following functions are obtained.
[a] A hand is inserted into the ball catching tool body through the hand insertion port and the band is fastened and attached to the hand. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the ball catching tool from slipping off from the hand or being shifted from the hand during ball catching.
[b] In the state in which the ball catching tool is attached to the hand as in the [a], the band fastened to the hand is shifted with difficulty from the hand in the longitudinal direction of the hand by fastening force. According to the structure of the present invention, however, one of both ends opposite to a thumb bag portion side of the ball catching tool body is connected to an outer cover through flexible means and can prevent constriction force of the band from acting on the outer cover to be curved and deformed with a ball catching operation. Therefore, when each finger is bent during ball catching, the outer cover is separated from the band which is hard to shift from the hand and is easily curved and deformed.
[c] By the functions [a] and [b], each finger can be tightly bent to catch a ball such that the inner cover corresponding to the palm side of the hand of the ball catching tool body encloses the ball.
Accordingly, it is possible to provide a ball catching tool capable of fastening and unfastening the band provided in the direction of the hand width for receiving and supporting the back of the hand, and furthermore, capable of catching a ball still more.
It is preferable that the flexible means should form a predetermined number of through holes on one of sides of a connected portion of the outer cover or a connecting portion of the band and a predetermined number of band-shaped portions capable of individually inserting a loop for connection into the through holes and turning up the loop on the other side.
According to this structure, when each finger is bent for catching a ball, a predetermined portion of the outer cover or a predetermined portion of the connecting portion of the band is shifted in the longitudinal direction of the hand in the loop formed with the band-shaped portion on the connecting portion side of the band or the connected portion side of the outer cover, and the outer cover is separated from the band which is hard to shift from the hand in the longitudinal direction of the hand by fastening force and is easily curved and deformed together with the inner cover, which is much more convenient.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a ball catching tool comprising a ball catching body having such a structure that an outer cover on a back face side is formed to cover a back of a hand and a hand insertion port side outer cover portion for receiving and supporting a wrist side of the back of the hand can be fastened to and unfastened from the hand, wherein the hand insertion port outer cover portion is connected to a main outer cover portion on a finger side through flexible means and can prevent constriction force of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion from acting on the main outer cover portion to be curved and deformed with a ball catching operation.
According to this structure,
[d] the hand is inserted into the ball catching tool body through the hand insertion port and the band is fastened and attached to the hand. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the ball catching tool from slipping off from the hand or being shifted from the hand during ball catching.
[e] In the state in which the ball catching tool is attached to the hand as in the [d], the hand insertion port side outer cover portion fastened to the hand is shifted with difficulty from the hand in the longitudinal direction of the hand by fastening force. According to the above-mentioned structure, however, the hand insertion port side outer cover portion is connected to the main outer cover portion on the finger side through flexible means and can prevent constriction force of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion from acting on the main outer cover portion to be curved and deformed with a ball catching operation. Therefore, when each finger is bent during ball catching, the outer cover is separated from the hand insertion port side outer cover portion which is hard to shift from the hand and is easily curved and deformed.
[f] By the functions [d] and [e], each finger can be tightly bent to catch a ball such that the inner cover corresponding to the palm side of the hand of the ball catching tool body encloses the ball.
Accordingly, it is possible to provide a ball catching tool capable of fastening and unfastening the hand insertion port side outer cover portion for receiving and supporting the wrist side of the back of the hand, and furthermore, capable of catching a ball still more.
It is preferable that the flexible means should form a predetermined number of through holes on one of sides of a connected portion of the main outer cover portion or a connecting portion of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion and a predetermined number of band-shaped portions capable of individually inserting a loop for connection into the through holes and turning up the loop on the other side.
According to this structure, when each finger is bent for catching a ball, a predetermined portion of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion or a predetermined portion of the main outer cover portion is shifted in the longitudinal direction of the hand in the loop formed with the band-shaped portion on the connected portion side of the main outer cover portion or the connecting portion side of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion, and the main outer cover portion is separated from the hand insertion port side outer cover portion which is hard to shift from the hand in the longitudinal direction of the hand by fastening force is separated and is easily curved and deformed together with the inner cover.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a ball catching tool capable of catching a ball more easily.
It is preferable that the outer cover should be formed in such a state that the connected portion of the main outer cover portion and a connecting portion of the hand insertion port outer cover portion are provided apart from each other by a predetermined length,
the connected portion of the main outer cover portion and the connecting portion of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion should be connected to each other through a connecting member,
the flexible means should form a predetermined number of through holes on one of sides of the connected portion of the main outer cover portion or the connecting portion of the connecting member and on one of sides of the connected portion of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion and the connecting portion of the connecting member, and a predetermined number of band-shaped portions capable of individually inserting a loop for connection into the through holes and turning up the loop on the other side.
According to this structure, when each finger is bent for catching a ball, a predetermined portion on the connecting portion side of the connecting member or a predetermined portion on the connected portion side of the main outer cover portion is shifted in the longitudinal direction of the hand in the loop formed with the band-shaped portion on the connected portion side of the main outer cover portion or the connecting portion side of the connecting member, and a predetermined portion on the connecting portion side of the connecting member or a predetermined portion on the hand insertion port side outer cover portion is shift ed in the longitudinal direction of the hand in the loop formed with the band-shaped portion on the connected portion side of the hand insertion port side outer cover portion or the connecting portion side of the connecting member.
Consequently, the main outer cover portion is separated from the hand insertion port side outer cover portion which is hard to shift from the hand in the longitudinal direction of the hand by fastening force is separated and is easily curved and deformed together with the inner cover.
Accordingly, the present invention can provide a ball catching tool capable of catch a ball much more easily.
These objects as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.